Laminated, printed cards are required in such diverse applications as drivers' licenses, employee identification badges, business promotional cards, convention credentials, and in a host of other uses. Typically, such cards consist of an opaque card laminated on one side with a clear plastic laminate. Users of these cards often want the eye-pleasing effect of information printed on both the clear laminate and the card itself, with at least one side printed in multiple colors. This allows information to be visible on two sides of the finished product, the back side of the opaque card, and on the side of the laminate attached to the opaque card. The typical card stock used for the opaque card is a heavy plastic, which does not accept most printing dyes easily. Thus, it is most efficient to print the opaque card stock with a single color resin, and use multi-colored dyes on the more flexible clear plastic laminate. Unfortunately, this necessitates two printing mechanisms, one to imprint resin on the opaque card and another to imprint the often multi-colored dyes on the clear card. The use of the duel print head adds expense to the process and reduces speed. Additionally, the second print head reduces reliability, as a far more complex mechanism has to be developed to handle the two cards.
Additionally, once the two card are printed, it is important that they be precisely aligned just before and during the lamination process. Obviously, if they are not properly aligned, the printing on one side will not match the orientation or angle of the printing on the opposite side. Prior art devices have utilized moving clamps for this purpose, which stay (and move) with the cards as they go through the lamination process. This reduces the speed and increases the complexity of such systems. Additionally, this requires a larger card than is necessary, for the area under the clamp typically is not properly laminated and must be trimmed off.
Another problem with prior art laminators is that they use a stainless steel metal belt that is spread between two rollers to fuse the clear plastic to the opaque card. Such systems require that the laminated card be stopped and placed under the metal belt, decreasing speed and efficiency. Additionally, such systems are prone to jamming due such complex stopping and starting. Another disadvantage of the stainless steel belt is a great deal of heat is spread over a relatively large surface, heating up the entire unit and potentially damaging bearings and other parts.
A further problem in prior art systems is the trimming mechanism at the end of the process, in which a reciprocating dye cutter is utilized to perform the final trimming of the card. Such systems are expensive and take up a great deal of space. Additionally, the result is a rough, somewhat uneven edge. A further disadvantage of the punch-type cutter is that they cannot perform fine trimming, and require that a great deal of excess be left around the card, resulting in the waste of a great deal of material.
Yet another problem with prior art machines, is that both the clear and opaque cards often attract lint and other debris due, for instance, to static electricity. If this debris is present during the printing process, printing will become uneven, and possibly sections of the card will not be printed. Prior art devices have used complicated mechanisms that use a cleaning roller that is intermittently cleaned by some sort of cleaning element. This intermittent cleaning may either be automatic or performed when the operator notices a problem. Obviously, such systems allow problems to occur in between the cleanings.
What is needed is a printer laminator that will print both opaque cards and transparent laminate with a single print head, continuously clean the cards, laminate without the use of an elongated metal belt and clamps, and trim the resultant laminated card smoothly, even if there is very little excess to be trimmed.